Just in time for Halloween, the Chinese are at it again with adding the toxic chemical, melamine (which is commonly used in coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, ceiling tiles and flame retardants) to artificially boost protein levels in milk (like they did with pet food last year). Over 50,000 children in China have become ill due to the tainted milk. Well, it’s in the chocolate candy now. Cadbury has recalled all of their Chinese-made chocolate products produced in their Beijing plant. According to CNN:

‘The products that are affected by this withdrawal include a range of Cadbury chocolate products and Choclairs, all produced in our Beijing plant,’ Cadbury said in a statement. Some or all of the products were exported to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, the Pacific island of Nauru and Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, according to the company. Cadbury said that it is implementing new food safety and quality checks at its Beijing plant and that fresh candies will be manufactured. The candy maker is the latest company to get caught up in China’s tainted-milk scandal. Melamine was first found in powdered infant formula but has since been traced to dozens of other products.

Here is a candy recall list from CNN provided by Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety.

The following 11 products are included in the recall, according to Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety:

  • Cadbury Dark Chocette, 45 grams.
  • Cadbury Dark Chocette, 80 grams.
  • Cadbury Eclairs, 180 grams.
  • Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Pumpkin, 150 grams.
  • Cadbury Dark Chocolate, 40 grams.
  • Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Bulk Pack, 5 kilograms.
  • Cadbury Dark Chocolate Bulk Pack, 5 kilograms.
  • Cadbury Dairy Milk Hazelnut Chocolate Bulk Pack, 5 kilograms.
  • Cadbury Dairy Milk Cookies Chocolate Bulk Pack, 5 kilograms.
  • Cadbury Hazelnut Praline Chocolate (2008 Chinese New Year), 312 grams.
  • Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate (2008 Chinese New Year), 300 grams.

Also, according to this AP news video below, Chinese supermarkets are voluntarily pulling M&Ms, Oreos, and Snickers from the shelves because the Indonesian government found traces of melamine in those candies.

I wouldn’t trust Cadbury, M&M’s, Oreos, or Snickers in the U.S. right now either. It just isn’t worth getting sick. This could turn out like the world-wide, Chinese tainted pet food scandal. How many family pets died before real action was taken in the U.S. to recall tainted pet food? This is just another reason why we need strict enforcement of food safty standards, especially anything coming from China. Hillary Clinton cosponsored the 2007 Safe Food Act and proposed great plans to ensure our food safety. Barack Obama and McCain did not. Imagine that.

For now, my advice: if you need a chocolate fix, buy organic and wait until 2012.

Crossposted at Alegre’s Corner